Puzzle.



PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

E. 0. PFBIFPER.

PUZZLE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 18, 1904.

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EMIL G. PFEIFFER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CLARENCE A. HIGHT, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PUZZLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed November 18, 1904. Serial No. 233,317.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL C. PFEIFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Sul'l'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and. use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in puzzles. 1

The object of the invention isto produce a puzzle presenting a novel problem for solution; and to this end. the invention consists in the puzzle hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figures 1 to A are plan views of the puzzle with the parts in various positions; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 1 .r, Fig. 1.

The invention consists, in its broadest aspect, in a puzzle comprising a receptacle, a number of movable obstructions contained in the receptacle, and a piece which may be termed a traveler, the problem being to cause the traveler to move between definite points or over a definite path through the receptacle, its passage being obstructed by the movable obstructions, which must be manipulated so as to permit the passage of the 1 traveler.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the receptacle is in the form of a shallow tray A, and the obstructions (numbered consecutively from 1 to 15) are blocks of different lengths and with rounded extremities, which lie flat in the tray and may slide about therein, so as to be rearranged. C is a flat block of similar form, but of less height. At the lower end of the tray are two openings B and B which are of suflicient height to permit the passage of the traveler, but not of the other blocks. The object to be accomplished is to insert the traveler in the opening B, pass it across the bottom of the tray, and remove it through the opening B The latter opening may be omitted, if desired, in which case the puzzle is solved when the traveler has traversed the tray and reached. the wall opposite the opening B.

The original positions of .the blocks 1 to 15 may be indicated. by marks on the bottom of The traveler.

the tray and may be widely varied. Fig. 1 shows the preferred. original position. T o solve the puzzle, the traveler is first removed through the opening B, and the blocks are then rearranged by sliding them about in the tray until they have assumed the position of Fig. The traveler is then inserted througl'i the opening B, the blocks 10 and 15 are lowered, and the block 11 is moved to the right, so that the parts occupy the positions of Fig. 3. Next, the block 10 is raised, the block 7 is lowered, and the blocks 1, 8, and 4 are moved. to the right, all as shown in Fig. 4. It then remains only to raise the blocks 2 and 7 to permit the traveler to complete its passage.

The invention may be embodied in many forms, the receptacle, the obstructions, the traveler, and the path to be traversed by the latter being susceptible of great variation without departure from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A puzzle, having, in combination, a tray, a traveler adapted to move in a certain path therein, and a plurality of movable blocks of different forms in the tray acting as obstacles to the movement of the traveler in the tray and requiring rearrangement to per mit its passage, substantially as described.

2. A puzzle, having, in combination, a tray, an elongated traveleradapted to move therein, and a plurality of movable blocks of equal width but unequal length, located in the tray and partly filling the same, the

blocks acting as obstacles to the movement of the traveler in the tray, substantially as described.

3. A puzzle, having, in combination, a tray provided with a lateral opening, a traveler adaptedv to enter the opening and traverse the tray in a certain path, and a plurality of movable obstacles in the tray requiring rearrangement to permit the passage of the traveler and of a size too great to pass through the opening, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I a'llix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMIL C. PFEIFFER.

Witnesses ALFRED I-I. HILDRETII. FRED O. FIsr-r. 

